The best multitool

Hi there, thanks for your offer of having a look/feel of your knives, but I live in Solo so its a bit far, anyway events turned around and now it looks like I'm going to be the proud owner of a pulse.

question how are you shipping your knives in ? are you using a carrier or post or what, what about customs?

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Frantium:
Hi DM,

Good luck with your choice. I currently carry a Leatherman Wave or a Supertool, and I'm pleased with both (a different tool for a different occasion). This coming two weeks, my PST, PST II, SAK tool, Spyderwrench, Pulse, Bucktool, (yup, I buy most of them, got a soft spot for multitools) along with some knives come from the US. You might want to check and see them in the flesh before deciding on one. I don't have a Gerber Legend though.

PS. Cuttlery Shoppe is nice, I bought one or two knives from them while I was in the States. Not so sure about international ordering though (Indonesian Customs might be tricky).
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I acquired my collection while I was in the States, and at one time I left most of them there for obvious reasons (like I said I wasn't sure about Customs). But I always had some friends picked up some knives or tools for me when they came to Jakarta.

I did have some knives sent from US, I carefully instructed the sender to declare the knives as "farming tools/equipments" (following a suggestion from a fellow forumite) and they reached me using UPS. I think it is okay for up to 4 knives, more than that and you're pushing the envelope too far and risking losing all 4 in Customs.

Funny thing is that when you do it the other way around--shipping from Indonesia to US--it is always easy.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Frantium:
I acquired my collection while I was in the States, and at one time I left most of them there for obvious reasons (like I said I wasn't sure about Customs). But I always had some friends picked up some knives or tools for me when they came to Jakarta.

I did have some knives sent from US, I carefully instructed the sender to declare the knives as "farming tools/equipments" (following a suggestion from a fellow forumite) and they reached me using UPS. I think it is okay for up to 4 knives, more than that and you're pushing the envelope too far and risking losing all 4 in Customs.

Funny thing is that when you do it the other way around--shipping from Indonesia to US--it is always easy.
</font>

I hear that !!!
did you have to pay customs for theese knives or is farm equipement excemt from customs ?
 
I have had good dealings with Top of Texas Knives. They seem like nice folks and their service has been excellent.

I don't know anything about the Cutlery Shoppe.

--Bob Q
 
Whichever way you do end up going, I hope you'll come back here and post some feedback. I'd like to know which multi-tool you choose and how you like it once you get a chance to try it out.

--Bob Q
 
Not really sure about exemption, but I didn't pay customs anything. One good friend of mine also have good luck using door-to-door shipping companies. But the thing is he always does that for expensive knives, and declaring the knives value much lower. Now I don't want to sound suggestive to this kind of shipments, because the danger is when you lose hundreds of dollars on knives, there's no way you can claim them back.

You can also head over to Knife Community and click Asian and Australian Knife Community and ask people there. I believe there were questions about shippings from and to ASEAN countries asked not too long ago. I didn't really watch the topic, so I probably missed a trick or two.
 
Just to throw my 2 cents worth in (to the original debate), I am working alongside quite a few Green Berets at the moment and a quick straw poll among them puts the Gerber 600 first for field use. They like the fact that it isn't too heavy and is easy to deploy with one hand. The leatherman is looked on as a bit more of an urban use tool.

 
i have been carrying a spyderench and gerber tool lately. switched the bits to torx on rench, very handy tool!

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russ aka bladezealot
a cat almost always blinks when hit in the head with a ball-peen hammer.
cats: the other white meat[courtesy of VG]


[This message has been edited by bladezealot (edited 03-23-2001).]
 
A multi-tool thread such as this is never complete without this link. Here you will find some of the most comprehensive reviews of multitools to be found anywhere:

http://equipped.com/

My personal favorites are the Victorinox SwissTool, the Leatherman Super Tool and the Leatherman Pulse, not necessarily in that order. When the upgraded SuperTool comes out, that one will probably become my favorite.

David Rock

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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
 
I agree with David both on the fact that the Supertool 200 will be the baddest mutha multitool around and in that www.equipped.com is the bomb when it comes to finding out cool gadget info.

Re: Pulse vs Wave: I am about to start carrying my Wave again. Just to see if I like it better. I thought the Pulse would be the perfect replacement, but I am not convinced yet. And I have had that Wave since they first came out so it has alot of sentimental value. I once changed a tire with it.

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Clay Fleischer
clay_fleischer@yahoo.com
AKTI Member A000847
 
I gotta chime in with the meek voice of a traditionalist. What about getting yourself another SAK? They last damn near forever, are easy to carry and, as you said, your last one became your favorite possession. Sometimes you just don't need a tool box on a belt.
 
I have two Gerber Multi-Pliers, I have yet to use anything that beats them. Have also tried the Leathman Sideclip, the Buck-Tool, and the Gerber MPT. I always go back to the Multi-Plier. RKBA!
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by mnblade:
I gotta chime in with the meek voice of a traditionalist. What about getting yourself another SAK? They last damn near forever, are easy to carry and, as you said, your last one became your favorite possession. Sometimes you just don't need a tool box on a belt.</font>

Yes I thought about that, but decided to try something new. + more often than not I'm in need of some pliers. Am a bit concerned about the weight of these things thou.

BTW thanks for the tip on "equipped.com"
excellent site.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by David Rock:
When the upgraded SuperTool comes out, that one will probably become my favorite.
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Any idea where I could get info on this? I haven't heard anything about a new SwissTool.

--Bob Q
 
While I still think the Gerber Pro-Scout is the best one out there, I am extremely intrigued by the Leatherman Juice. You might want to wait until it comes out.
 
I have to sound off for the SAK multi tool.

I have a wave & super tool and the SAK has the best engineering and the best feel IMO.

Individually locking tools rock and they never bunch together.

Love the concept of the wave but I never felt it was very strong in comparison, besides, with the SAK every tool is accessible witout opening the pliars, not just 4.

One downside, the screwdrivers are a little over polished so they don't always bite. That can be cured with a good file or Dremel to knock the polish off.

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"I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6"
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">David, I meant to ask what kind of sheath you carried your Swisstool in?</font>


Clay,

I carry the SwissTool in an old style Benchmade pouch. The Tool fits in there a tad loosely, leaving just enough room for an Eze-Lap pen sized diamond sharpener.

Incidentally, the new style Benchmade Soft Sheath (large) works well with the Leatherman Pulse, again, with room for the aforementioned sharpener. This is my current set-up, and I carry it horizontally, up front, to the right of my belt buckle. The loops on the pouch straddle a belt loop, so the weight of the tool doesn't cause it to fall off when I loosen my belt for whatever reason.

David Rock

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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.

[This message has been edited by David Rock (edited 03-30-2001).]
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Any idea where I could get info on this? I haven't heard anything about a new SwissTool.

--Bob Q </font>

Bob,

The tool I'm waiting for is not a SwissTool upgrade, but rather, the Leatherman Super Tool 200, which you can see described here:

http://www.leatherman.com/ourproducts/supertool200.htm

The main advantage to the Super Tool 200 over the original Super Tool is that it won't bite into one's hand as painfully.

David Rock

 
Remember, you can get a small Vise-Grip for about $12 and a nice SAK for $40. Put together they weight less than any of the large multi-tools. And cost less. And might be more useful (e.g. using vise-grip as a wrench, to hold cables taut, can use pliers to hold nut while turning bolt head with SAK, etc.)
That'll probably be my solution, unless I just HAVE to have a legend.
 
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